Yeah, WTF is basically my reaction too. There's no way Stefan is perma-dead, though. They're going to fix the whole Other Side business and bring everybody back. I hope Kol sneaks through, too. He was so great and I think it would be utterly hilarious for him to waltz into the Mikaelson compound in New Orleans like nothing ever happened.

I will say that I honestly enjoyed Stefan and Elena's discussion about how awesome Caroline is and how much better everything would be if she were there. I basically have a similar conversation whenever she's not on screen. Also, when Stefan is brought back next week, he and Caroline are totally going to have "thought we missed our chance, because death" makeouts. As Price Peterson would say, there will be a lot of hugging and it won't involve shirts.

Cindy, I'm so glad you don't have to watch this anymore! I would absolutely delete the last ep unseen if I were you. No one is acting in character and it's all disappointing.

I've actually watched in fits and starts. I haven't watched last week's episode yet, though. I haven't had the stomach for it. This poor show.

I used to get so mad when people slammed the show because Kevin Williamson took a backseat and let Julie Plec take the reins. Earlier on, it felt so sexist as to make me puke.

This season I started off with high hopes. Without re-reading, I'm pretty sure this is evident in my TWoP recaps. By mid-season, I realized I was no longer watching my lovely show of strong female friendships, real life-y dialogue, and supersonic reveals. It all went to hell and while (if I could be arsed to review) I know where, I can't understand why.

Guys. GUYS. Alaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaric! They did the ONE thing that would bring me back for next season. Maybe even TWO of the things I wanted most--it was unclear if anyone else is human now, or if only Tyler was de-hybridized because he died after going through the Travelers' spell. If Elena (and maybe Stefan and Alaric and Enzo?) are also human again, that would be pretty exciting. I hate to say it but I FF'd through the Delena scenes because I can't bear them, so I might have missed this info there.

Love that Bonnie and Damon are stuck together somewhere because that is an underused pairing and I know the Bamon shippers must be going out of their minds, but I'm confused because I thought the writers' reason for getting rid of the Other Side was to make death meaningful again. But based on Grams's message to Bonnie, I'm sure she and Damon will find their way back. So...death is still not meaningful?

It was better then the other episodes but there was still a lot of stupid annoying people. And honestly I'm just so sick of Elena being so whiny and dumb. That scene where she just cries and cries over Damon? Really forced and silly since I don't think for a moment that Damon is staying dead. Not to mention that we didn't get to see her mourn Stefan at all so the obvious shipping is obvious.

I did like pretty much everything involving Bonnie though, she brings a bunch of people back to life, gets rid of Silas, and had great chemistry with Enzo and Damon at the end. It's such a shame how they treat her character though and waste a pretty decent actress. I probably sound like a crazy fangirl but it bugs me how all the males on the show - except for Damon - gravitate to Caroline almost automatically now, this show used to do a good job of following the chemistry and that seems to have come to a halt (with the exception of Stefan which does feel more earned).

Wise to FF Dalena, so eyerollingly TERRIBLE, why I tortured myself in real time I do not know. I prefer Damon with every single other female and male character on this show besides Elena.

I did like the potential for the rest I definitely want them all to be human, although poor Caroline will be the only vamp left in town, and Stefan will be back in a Vamp/Human relationship that has no real future. Heh.

Carrie Ann, you're right about Tyler dying as a human. When Elena and Damon drove into Mystic Falls, Elena started drowning and she said something about hurrying because they need to die while they are still vampires. So I'm pretty sure everyone else is still a vampire.

That needing to die while they were still vampires thing--was that so they would end up on the Other Side and not just be dead?

And I wasn't sure whether Tyler is now human or werewolf, so that's why I thought maybe the spell/passing back through Bonnie made them all human. But I'm betting they're all still vampires, except Tyler who is just a werewolf again. And what is Alaric? Just a vampire? Or an Original?

I went back and reluctantly watched the Damon/Elena scenes, and I was right to skip them originally. Just...terrible. Nina seemed a little over-the-top and Ian seemed like he was phoning it in. What a waste of time to have two long emotional conversations with the same characters in one episode. No time for Stefan and Damon to chat though.

I'm operating on the assumption that Kat and Ian will both be back, and I honestly am interested in how they will shake things up next season. I would LOVE a Damon/Bonnie storyline. I've wanted one since S1, and I never even knew they were a couple in the books. The real Bamon people...it must be nuts over on Tumblr right now. But since they're already going the Stefan/Caroline route, I can't imagine the show leaving Elena all on her own without at least one Salvatore obsessing over her. Maybe it's time for that inappropriate Matt Davis/Nina Dobrev chemistry to be put to use. :)

Still, there were a few things I liked. Lexi! ALARIC! So happy to see them both again, although I'm bummed Lexi couldn't come back to life and this seems to be pretty firmly putting an end to any possible future appearances from her. But at least she kind of gave Stefan a push toward Caroline. The more I think about it, the more I want Stefan/Caroline to happen. Because 1) Caroline seems to want him and I want her to have what she wants, 2) I've loved their friendship for forever, and 3) it would be kind of hilarious to see Elena having to deal with only having one Salvatore brother obsessing over her.

But you guys! We got Alaric back! Like Carrie Ann, I'm also looking forward to his and Elena's incredibly inappropriate chemistry.

Also, I'm surprisingly interested in Bonnie and Damon's adventures on the other side next season.

Carrie Ann wrote:I've wanted one since S1, and I never even knew they were a couple in the books.

Wait wait wait, they actually got together in the books??? I never read beyond the original four, so I totally missed that! I might have to read the sequels, just for that. I loved those two in the books. Not so much in the actual show. Show!Bonnie has been pretty terrible, so I kind of gave up on my Bonnie/Damon hopes for the show fairly quickly.

Why didn't they just send in ghosty-but-still-able-to-touch-things Enzo with a match?

At this point, I don't care about Elena or Damon, so whatever to them. It'd be nice if Damon ended up caring about Bonnie - not in a romantic sense, but just anything to stop this obsessive shit that makes that them do things like tag along on a death ride with nary a thought towards the fact that it's a big spell they're doing and it's their friend who is serving as a pained portal.

OK, Raksha, I just looked at a wiki for the books, and I think I misunderstood. Apparently they haven't gotten together, but Bonnie was more Damon's love interest than Elena was. Now I'm waiting to hear any announcement regarding Kat or Ian's status for next season. I truly can't imagine them doing the show without Ian, but I could imagine him wanting to drop down to non-regular. On the other hand, I don't think they would build Steroline up so much if they weren't committed to a Delena endgame, so I'm sure he's coming back. But man, I am so much more interested in Damon/Bonnie than Damon/Elena. I really wish the show would go there.

Like you, I got on-board for Steroline earlier this season. I resisted for a long time because of Stelena feelings--not just that I shipped them, but also that I couldn't imagine Stefan getting over her enough to be good for Caroline. But the episode where Stefan told D/E that he'd wanted it to be them who saved him from drowning, and Elena looked annoyed at best was where I gave up on Stelena for good. They've spent two whole seasons completely dismantling Elena as a character, and stamping out any remaining Stelena romance. The show's position is that Stefan and Elena were right together when she was human, but she and Damon are right now that she's a vampire. Fine. As I feared, the show sees nothing wrong with this version of Elena, and has no intention of addressing how awful she is, so I'm done caring about her or wanting her anywhere near the characters I actually do like. Elena died in the S3 finale, and that's that for me. I hope Caroline doesn't get caught up in any sort of triangle with her and Stefan, because that would certainly be a disservice to her and to Stefan who deserves to move on.

Luciano wrote:Why didn't they just send in ghosty-but-still-able-to-touch-things Enzo with a match?

Oh my God, you're right. That is ridiculous. The only thing I can think is that he wouldn't have been willing to be that far away from Bonnie during the spell. But Stefan should have been able to touch things too, right? He would have been willing to do it. ARGH. Dumb show.

I loved the finale! Mostly because of the Alaric situation and that my have clouded my judgment of the other events. Not too worried about Bonnie and Damon, Grams has this handled like a supernatural Olivia Pope. But maybe they will find Katherine as well.......

I'm glad we still get Enzo and maybe Kol will pop out at some point, Hopefully Elana will have an "I choose me" moment and find a non-Salvatore to obsess over.

I have hopped on the Stereoline ship just because I find Elena so unlikable now, and am excited for the possibility of Bonnie and Damon. I think those two have always had really good unexplored chemistry.

I am also excited about the possibility of Katherine and Kol, and more Enzo who was one of the few things about this season I completely liked.

I guess I'm alone in not really wanting Caroline with Stefan as more than a friend, I mean obvs they could rock it, the show save Dalena, is a chemistry factory. Still, I'd rather see her with Enzo, who yes, was one of the better parts of the season. I'm still shipping Matt/Bonnie. And Jeremy/Katherine. Or Matt/Katherine, and Bonnie/Stefan. Any combination of those 6 is I like all those characters too much to see them sucked into what has become a terrible triangle that once had such promise. SNIFF, how did it all go so pear shaped. Where once I didn't want Jeremy to die, I'd be fine if they did so now. Same with Tyler, I have no idea why they decided he should live.

Elena should be alone until she can find the awesome that she used to be.

My only hesitation about Stefan/Caroline is that Klaus/Caroline was such a thing when I was still actively watching this show. I don't know what that looks like in a post-Originals world, but if there is any chance that Stefan is going to get the girl only to lose her to the "sexy bad boy" who's done terrible things to said girl's friends and family AGAIN, no thank you, they can just stay besties. As long as Klaus stays put on his own show, I'm good. Stefan, Caroline, and Matt were always the characters whose happiness I cared about the most (RIP Matt/Caroline, you were short-lived yet adorable), so if they're happy, I'm happy.

Yeah, one problem with Steroline is that it puts Stefan in the crosshairs of the two biggest shipping fandoms in the TVD-verse. Poor Paul Wesley, sometimes I fear for his life. But the thing about Klaus/Caroline is that The Originals has to proceed without Caroline, so they are going to continue to put Klaus with other female characters. And the writers (and actors) have started to bristle when it comes to that topic, and the party line is that it's over. So the Forest Sex scene might be the last Klaroline scene ever. I hope so because while I find their chemistry appealing, putting them together would only compromise Caroline's character, until Klaus stops being an abusive monster.

As for the question about Alaric being a regular--the answer is yes! Matt Davis was confirmed as a regular for Season 6, as was the dude who plays Enzo. Which again has me wondering whether Ian is going to drop to non-regular status.

Finally got around to watching and that was just a big ol' ball of whatever. I can't with Elena crying hysterically over Damon while poor Bonnie only has Jeremy who gives a shit. And I REALLY can't with Stefan and Damon not even getting to say goodbye to each other. There was a good 10 minutes of Traveller/magical chanting that could've been cut so that conversation could've happened but apparently I really needed to see Markos' smug face a bunch more times. The tone of the whole thing given the plan and the stakes was all just so weirdly carefree that there was absolutely no weight to the emotional beats. I know I haven't cared about most of these characters in a long time but I should have cared more than I did. I also would've gladly traded Alaric's return for Lexi's. How many snarky buddies does Damon need since Enzo's going to be sticking around? I'm not sure if I can watch repeated scenes of Elena and Alaric reminiscing about Damon while Bonnie goes wholly forgotten since Caroline will be busy falling for Stefan. Which I'm actually not opposed to in theory but have no faith that it'll happen in a way that won't make me ending up hating them both, too.

I know Bonnie and Damon will both be back because it's TVD but if I had 1 wish it would be that they spent their time together in the New Other Side bonding and come back with a planted seed of something more developing. Their 2 quick scenes together did more for me than all the Delena scenes this season combined. Oh ok - I'VE SHIPPED BONNIE/DAMON SINCE S1 AND THIS SHOW OWES ME THIS!!

I think the show forgot that Stefan and Damon were actually one of the most interesting love stories of the series. It's heartbreaking that Stefan and Damon didn't get to say goodbye -- Lexi even sacrificed herself to find Damon for Stefan -- and yet the show swept that under the rug; I was totally unmoved by their separation. It has gone way downhill. I think part of it was the boringness of the season story, part of it was the HORRIBLE ACTING of every bit-part character they hired for the whole Travelers storyline (casting used to be such a strong suit; I mean, Elijah and Klaus? YES), and honestly, part of it was... I don't know when Ian Somerhalder became so bad. I used to love Damon's badness and found his snarking funny, and now it's SO CARTOONY and I feel like all of a sudden one day it was ruining everything. I hate to say it, but I feel like they should decide now to end it after either season six or seven, so the writers can plot the shit out of it. And THEN save a couple characters, like Alaric and Caroline, and move them onto The Originals.

That was totally fucking horrible, except for Damon making Bonnie pancakes to Collective Candlebox of Soul. Oh and Matt still my boo. I wish I could stomach this show just for you Matt, but I don't think I have the constitution.

Yeah, I thought I was with this show until the bitter end, but everyone is so so awful and depressing and the character growth is...well, what's the opposite of "growth?" The only happy bit is the I Love the 90s Damon and Bonnie, and you know that can't last more than another episode. I think I'm giving it another month and if things don't improve, at least in the Stefan/Caroline sphere, then I'm out.

I used to love this show but I don't think I can handle another season of Elena whining. Even my husband, who only half watches while doing other things, said to me last night "God that girl's a buzzkill. " Unless they take the focus off her and do something with Stefan and Caroline soon, I'm out.

What happened to this show? It used to be so, so good. How did it turn out this bad, this fast? The first three and a half seasons were fantastic and then, like, immediately turned to shit. This is the last season, right? I'm going to try to hang on until the end, but I'm not sure I can make myself do that for 22 more episodes. Unless Caroline (the only character left I still unequivocally love) gets some amazing stuff this season, but I'm not holding my breath.

They brought on Phoebe Tonkin. Heh, kidding. Mostly. And decided a bunch of things about telling the Dalena story that were deeply deeply stupid and offensive. Plec is unbelievably clueless, she just gave an interview about how she doesn't want Elena to *become* the girl who wants to die for a guy. Um, lady you have been writing that for at least a year, there is a great tumblr gifset of S1 Elena saying how she doesn't want to her life to be all about a guy and then her saying she will die without Damon, ironically when she's a vampire and will actually live forever. GAH, between that and her white woman tears over the Bonnie kerfuffle, I can't help but blame her entirely for the shows downfall.

Holy crap. I stopped watching last season and felt like crap this weekend, so I decided to catch up on all of season 5 and 6 up to now. I guess to make myself feel crappier? Anyway, a few observations.

1. I was always ok with Dalena until Alaric started retconning with Elena and the writers in season 6. Seriously, people, if you have to work this hard at convincing people that Dalena is the OTP, perhaps you should have worked harder on establishing it in the actual show. That we watched. Not the one you're rewriting now.

2. I thought the Traveller "Big Bad" was.. ok. The events leading up to it were more interesting than the actual climax of the season, though. Everyone died. I kind of miss Katherine, her daughter, and Silas. They were much more interesting than vampire-hunter guy who may or may not actually be a Salvatore. Also, I disapprove of the decision to make Tyler just a werewolf again.

3. Seriously, Bonnie sacrificed herself AGAIN? FOR DAMON? Whut. How can we even take their attempts to turn Ghost-Bonnie into an actual character during season 5 seriously now?

4. If we're supposed to be rooting for Caroline/Stefan, why is he behaving like a new person around her? He's 100% pure prick. I get that he's all dead brother angsty, but their friendship was always something he reserved at least a small amount of energy for.

5. OK, I admit, the brotherly hug kind of got to me. Mostly because Stefan can kind of act now.